Liquid wave generators have been common equipment at university engineering departments a part of a century. High school seniors interested in attending the California Institute of Technology were often given demonstrations using the school's wave wave generator.
Early equipment that generated waves for non-coastal surfing sports were little more than scaled up versions of wave generators used by college students. U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,332 to Forsman provided an apparatus for producing continuous surfing waves within a circular channel structure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,500 to Bastenhof provided a surfing wave generator which could launch a succession of singular waves across the surface of a swimming pool. U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,535, also to Bastenhof, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,664 to Baker were other such apparatuses.
Over the past several decades, sheet flow water rides have become popular. Otto Frenzl was one of the first inventors to patent such an apparatus. Frenzl's U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,402, which issued in 1971, discloses a water sheet flow apparatus having the fundamental features that are found on present-day sheet flow apparatuses: a ramp; a water storage tank, or vat, below the ramp; a powerful pump for pumping water from the tank up the ramp; a drain at the top of the ramp, which returns water to the tank; and padded surfaces to protect those who are “surfing” the sheet of water on the ramp.
Thomas J. Lochtefeld of San Diego, Calif., has been involved in the development of water sheet flow equipment since the early 1990s. U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,101 to Lochtefeld and Sauerbier discloses a wave-forming generator for generating a sheet flow of water up an inclined surface, which can be used for surfing and water skimming sports. U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,107 to Lochtefeld discloses a containerless sheet flow water ride that avoids disadvantageous boundary layer effects associated with sidewall containers. U.S. Pat. No. 7,951,011 to Lochtefeld (hereinafter the '011 Patent) discloses a portable water ride having a trailer with a water catch basin built therein. Water is pumped through a nozzle up an inclined ride surface, which is stretched between stowable support members. Surfing and water skimming maneuvers can be performed on the flowing sheet of water. A walkway on either side of the ride surface, as well as an entrance platform at the top of the ride surface, and other grated platforms and railings can be provided. U.S. Pat. No. 8,641,543 issued as a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 7,951,011. Both of these patents relate to a standing wave sheet flow water ride attraction adapted to inject a sheet flow of water under pressure onto a contoured, inclined ride surface. By injecting water under pressure in this manner at a supercritical speed (i.e., a speed faster than the speed of wave propagation), the sheet flow is supported underneath by the ride surface and conforms without breaking to the contours thereof. This allows a rider to perform water skimming and simulated surfing maneuvers on the ride surface and sheet flow by using the force of gravity and the upward momentum created by the upward flow, wherein the rider can oscillate back and forth in substantial equilibrium while performing maneuvers thereon.
Thomas J. Lochtefeld is not only an inventor, but has also been a member of the California bar since 1977. Since 1988, forty-five patents have been granted to him and his co-inventors. He has also been very aggressive in litigating against would-be competitors.
Typically, these sheet flow water rides are considerably smaller and have a smaller footprint than traditional water rides, such as wave pools, water slides and log rides, etc., and therefore, are less expensive to manufacture, construct and install than conventional water rides. Nevertheless, one of the drawbacks of these water rides is that there is the potential for reduced throughput and therefore reduced capacity. For example, in many cases, especially when smaller versions of the water ride are installed, only a single rider may be able to ride the water ride at any given time. Moreover, due to the nature of the ride, it is often desirable for riders to spend a longer period of time, i.e., more than just a few seconds, riding on the water ride so that they can learn the skills necessary to ride it properly. Riders will also need to ride it multiple times to achieve the skill sets necessary to perform adequately.
In spite of their inherent reduced capacity, as compared with other water rides, one of the main advantages of water sheet rides is that, in addition to being a participatory sport, they are also a popular spectator sport, in that they attract spectators who may not have a desire to directly participate in the ride, but are interested in watching the active participants. These water rides can also be used in connection with promotional and/or sponsorship activities by businesses that may be interested in using the water ride as a means of promoting the products and/or services that they sell. For example, third party businesses may have an interest in using the water ride at a planned promotional event or activity with surfing as a theme, and in such case, they might want to have the water ride available at a remote location which could help promote their products and/or services or other objective at that venue.
In view of the foregoing, portable versions of sheet flow water rides, which can be transported to and set up at remote locations where special events and activities are planned and held, have the potential to be very popular.